


A frog for me alone

by kimchisan



Category: Fairy Tales & Related Fandoms, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fluff, Frog!Stiles, M/M, Magic!Stiles, Princess!Laura & Cora, Queen!Talia, Russian Fairytale, prince!derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-25
Updated: 2013-11-25
Packaged: 2018-01-02 16:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1058827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimchisan/pseuds/kimchisan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek marries a frog named Stiles. They have to face a lot of trials until they can get their "Happily ever after".</p>
            </blockquote>





	A frog for me alone

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based on a Russian Fairy Tale I found in a book. I switched genders, changed tasks, added details and rewrote the ending to an extend (less violent).
> 
> I've been writing on this story for a while and I've spoiled a few of my friends with pieces of it for some time now.  
> I'm happy that I could finish my second Sterek story now.
> 
> I dedicate this story to [Amethystina](http://amethystinaficlets.tumblr.com/).  
> She always encouraged me to keep writing my story so she deserves to be mentioned here.  
> Read her stories they are amazing. ^^

There was once a beautiful and wise queen, Talia was her name and she had three children. Laura, Derek and Cora. Laura the oldest would inherit the throne. Derek and Cora would be her advisors. When the three came of age Talia called for them. As long as she was still alive she wished for them to find their love matches and thus increase the family. But how should they do that? The queen called for her brother Peter, who was head of the treasury. When he arrived he had a silver bow and three white arrows with him. The prince and princesses hadn't seen those before.

Talia proceeded to tell them about a legend in their family. If a member of the family shoots an arrow from the bow and follows it they'll find their match. The three took the bow and arrows, left the castle and walked onto a meadow just outside of the castle's walls.  
Laura took the bow first and shot her arrow to the left. It crashed into the window of a bakery. A young man stood outside holding the arrow when Laura arrived. 

Normally it would have been Derek's turn but, alas, his younger sister was faster and grabbed the bow before he could reach for it. She shot it right next to a cloth stall in a nearby village's market place. When she arrived at the place she met a man who inspected the arrow closely.

Now it was Derek's turn. He was nervous. Could this magical bow and arrow help him find his match? He took the bow and pulled with all his might and let the arrow fly. It went a lot further than the ones his sisters had shot. It landed in a deep forest. He wandered there and came upon a swamp. On a tree stump next to some murky puddles sat a little green frog, clutching the white arrow in his tiny fingers. 

Of course, Derek couldn't have a normal love match. 

He asked the frog if he had been the one to find the arrow and the frog told him that, yes, he was the one who found it and that he had almost been struck by it, too. Derek couldn't believe that a frog would be his match and tried to get the arrow back from the 'unworthy' frog but without success. 

The frog ribbitted and asked Derek to marry him. His destiny would want it, he said. Derek rolled his eyes at that but relented and took the little frog carefully from his seat. He returned home with a heavy heart while the little frog introduced himself as 'Stiles' and talked to him all the way back to the castle. 

When Derek returned, his sisters and their future husbands could barely hide their laughter. Derek was marrying a frog! What a joke! Still, even after the queen and her brother discussed the matter for hours. Derek had shot the arrow and the frog was the one who had found it. Therefore Derek had to marry the frog even if he wasn't exactly happy about it at the moment. “Rules are rules” the queen said. It didn't take long from then and there were three royal marriages in the kingdom. Laura and the baker, Cora and the cloth merchant and Derek with his little frog, Stiles. 

A month later queen Talia called for her three children again. She would like to find out who of them had married the person with the most skills. So she told them that their spouses had to smith a sword each and present it to the queen on the next day. Derek's sisters laughed at him. How could a little frog smith a sword? 

When Derek returned to his rooms he was in a sad mood. He sat down on a chair near the fire place and sighed. The little frog hopped around on the floor near his feet. “What makes you sad?” the frog asked. “Has something happened?” “The queen has commanded that you have to smith a sword until tomorrow”, Derek answered.  
“Don't be sad Derek! Please go to bed and sleep. Let me work on my own over night. You'll see everything will be alright.” Stiles said earnestly. The prince wondered at first about the strange request but went to bed and even though he worried about the next day, he fell into a deep slumber. 

Meanwhile the little frog hopped out of the room into a small chamber. There he threw off his frog skin and turned into a beautiful young man with pale, mole dappled skin, brown hair and eyes. He opened a small window and clapped his hands three times.  
He then asked the full moon in the sky, who had just appeared, to help him power his magic to make the most sturdy and beautiful sword in existence. He toiled in the chamber until sunrise and even though he should have made enough noise to wake the whole kingdom, no one heard a thing.

When Derek woke in the morning he found a sword on the table wrapped in a piece of cloth. Stiles hopped around merrily on the floor. The prince couldn't believe his eyes. Hope began to blossom in his chest and he quickly brought the sword to his mother. 

Talia was about to receive the gifts from her other children when Derek entered the throne room. Laura gave Talia 'her' sword, a piece made of gold and jewels. The queen looked at it critically. She banged the sword on the floor and it broke into pieces. “Not really sturdy is it?” Cora's sword didn't break when tested the same way but was too simple in appearance to please the taste of a queen. Now it was Derek's turn and he unwrapped Stiles' sword. It was white and silver with moonstones carefully decorating the hilt. It felt so light that the queen was afraid it would break but a test was a test. So she threw it and it cut a deep gash into the marble of the floor not breaking at all. The queen was pleased and said it would have a special place among her ceremonial weapons. 

Derek walked back to his room like he was flying a few feet above the ground. When he came upon the frog in his chambers he took him in his arms and held him close to his heart. A thousand words of thanks enveloped the frog. Stiles ribbitted shyly and smiled heartily at him.

Meanwhile Laura and Cora talked about their brother's sudden luck. They must've misjudged the frog their brother had married. He was apparently not as simple a frog like they had thought he was.

A month later Talia called her children for a second test. This time the spouses were to bake a cake for the queen's birthday festivities. Derek and Cora thought that that would put Laura's husband at an unfair advantage. A baker knows how to bake a cake after all. Sadly the queen was quite content with her choice for the second trial and wouldn't listen to their protests. They were escorted out of the throne room and send back to their husbands.

Again sadness overcame the features of the prince while he walked back to his chambers. His thoughts circled around the second test. A cake for the birthday festivities! How could Stiles manage that? He could barely hold an egg in his little fingers! Derek wanted to trust in Stiles abilities but the second test seemed so hard. If the frog didn't create a really special cake they would certainly be laughed at.

When he walked into his bedroom he slumped heavily on his bed. He was followed into the bedroom by Stiles who had greeted him with love and cheer. The frog leaped onto his lap. “Why are you sighing again, Derek? Don't look at me with such a heavy heart! Tell what's on your mind!”  
Derek smiled sadly and told him what the queen had commanded. Stiles chased away Derek's worries and asked him to lie down and sleep just like the first time. He could do it, he promised. 

Stiles hopped out of the room and made his way towards the kitchen. Meanwhile Cora had a heated discussion with her husband. She didn't want to lose again and she thought if Derek had gotten lucky the first time he might be lucky the second time too. So she send an old maid to spy on the frog. Unbeknown to her, Laura's husband had also asked the maid to tell him what the frog was up to. Knowing the competition could make a difference the baker had thought. 

So the old maid set out to spy on Stiles. He had noticed her soon enough and proceeded in making a cake but instead of using regular ingredients he used sand, old milk and dried raisins. He didn't even clean the oven before putting in the dough to bake. All this had been seen by the maid and she ran to each of the husbands and told them what she had seen in the kitchen. 

Stiles however went into a corner of the kitchen, put his frog skin away and again clapped three times. This time he asked the stars to help him with his magic. He cleaned the oven properly and began to mix the proper ingredients and in just a little time he could pull out a wonderful smelling cake. 

When Derek woke up the next morning he found a lovely decorated cake with his family crest on top. He looked overjoyed at Stiles who hopped around awkwardly and said “T'is nothing”. Derek wrapped the cake in a linen cloth and went to his mother. His heart was full of hope again.

Queen Talia meanwhile was already inspecting the cakes of the other husbands. Laura and Cora stood aside and watched closely. The first one was made by the cloth merchant. It looked dirty and after tasting a bite the queen proclaimed it an attempt at her life so foul was the taste. 

The next one had been made by the baker. It seemed like he understood that the “recipe” from the frog was definitely wrong and made a cake with one of his own recipes. The queen tasted and looked at the cake. It was better than the first one but something was missing, she thought.

Then it was Derek's turn and the moment the queen saw the cake she already proclaimed it the winner. Laura interjected and said that the queen should taste it as well to be fair. The queen tasted it and said, that in look and taste it was the winner. “It would make a fine addition to the birthday meal! The last test for you three will be to present the family at my birthday ball in front of the people tonight.” And with a look at Derek. “Try to make your frog presentable.”

Again, Derek went home disenchanted. How could the third test be fair at all. He had married a frog after all. Stiles had won the challenges up to this point but could he impress all the nobles and the commoners of his worthiness? Derek's insecurity was a heavy weight on his mind. He went straight for the bedroom when he returned, fell onto his bed and sighed. 

Stiles hopped onto the bed and sat next to Derek's head on the pillow. He petted Derek's unruly hair and asked him what had happened to make him so sad again. “You were so happy when you went to the queen. Didn't she like the cake?” “Yes she did. We won the challenge.” “But isn't that good? What is the problem then?”  
“I'm afraid of the banquet tonight. The last challenge is to present the royal family in front of the nobles and the people. I fear they'll make fun of you and me.” Stiles eyes widened at that and he flicked the prince's head hard.  
“I know this seems to be hard for you but please, please put your trust in me. Don't worry yourself sick about these things. It will work out I promise!” Derek rubbed his head and looked into Stiles' eyes. “Go to the banquet alone tonight and when you hear a loud rumbling and crashing outside don't be afraid and tell the guests it's just your little frog who has arrived. Can you do that?” Derek still looked a bit skeptical but nodded. Stiles hopped closer and continued petting Derek's hair until they both fell into a light sleep. 

So the prince went to the banquet alone. He hoped that Stiles could do what he had promised. Derek's sisters and their husbands were already seated when he arrived. His mother was placed at the head of the table. He could see members of the most noble and honorable families in the country were seated with them as well. Stiles' cake was placed in all its glory on a side table and got a lot of attention. Derek sat opposite of Laura and he surveyed his sisters' husbands. The were clothed in the most beautiful clothes and obviously filled his sisters with pride. 

When his sisters caught him looking at their husbands they couldn't resist and started mocking Derek. “Where is your husband?” “Is he out catching flies in the fountain?” They continued in that fashion for a while and laughed although discreetly because they were in public. Derek slumped in his seat and hoped for Stiles to arrive soon. The banquet began and Derek got uncomfortable under the subtle stares of the guests. Where was the prince's strange husband, he heard them murmur. When the starters arrived Derek got nervous and he felt his mother looking at him. While the people enjoyed the food there was a loud noise suddenly coming from the outside. The guests became scared and the queen wanted to send her guards to take a look but Derek could disperse their fears and told them that it was just his husband who is arriving now, just like Stiles had told him. 

He got up and went outside to welcome his little frog but contrary to his expectation there came a red and golden chariot through the castle gate which was pulled by four white horses. It looked so majestic Derek was speechless. The man stepping from the chariot was clothed in red, gold and black. Two warm brown eyes looked and a beautiful mouth smiled at him. The man was the most beautiful person Derek had ever seen. “I told you it would be alright! It's me, Stiles, your husband!” Derek cupped Stiles' face into his hands and smoothed his thumbs over the soft skin. “You're really him!” he said in wonder. “I recognize the warmth in your eyes.” Stiles took Derek's arm and they went inside.

The queen was pleased to finally see the real face of her accomplished Son in Law. Derek and Stiles sat down and started eating. Music was playing in the background and soon after they had finished the 6 courses, other couples would start to get up and dance. Derek who couldn't tear his eyes away from Stiles since he had arrived, asked him for a dance. Stiles smiled at Derek and let himself be led towards the center of the dance floor. First it was Derek's turn to lead and afterwards it was Stiles'. The happy couple soon outshone all the others. They swirled around and were praised by the queen for their superior dancing.

Later when Stiles and Derek had sat down again and Stiles was swarmed with people wanting to talk to him, Derek went back to their rooms. He had accidentally spilled wine on his jacket and wanted to change into a clean one.  
When he stepped into their bedroom he saw the frog skin spread on the bed. He took it without hesitation and threw it into the fire place. The skin burned to ashes in seconds. Stiles would be free and walk around as a human now and forever. Derek thought he had done something good.

But when Stiles returned to their rooms and he saw what Derek had done, he paled considerably. “Oh! How could you?! Derek what have you done?” He became faint and slid onto a chair. Derek looked at him in confusion. “It can't be that bad Stiles, surely?” But Stiles only looked at him with sadness in his eyes. “If you just had waited 3 more days I would've been yours forever. Now however I have to leave you.” He stood up and went towards the window. When he turned around to look at Derek there were tears in his eyes. “Farewell, Derek, my love. If you want to find me again you'll have to walk through woods so deep and dark no one ever found out of them again, cross swamps so misty you'll need to mind every step. You'll walk through a sea of grass and one of water until you find me on the immortal giant's island.” 

After Stiles had finished he started to glow and then turned into a little, gray cuckoo bird. He flew through the open window. Derek jumped towards the window, trying to reach Stiles but it was too late.  
Derek's cry for Stiles went unheard. He slumped to the ground and wept bitterly. It was all his fault. How could he have been so stupid. Would he ever see Stiles again? The only thing he could do is to follow Stiles' instructions, he thought. When he told his mother about his plan she was against it but he said that he couldn't live with himself if he didn't find Stiles again. There would be no joy for him forever. Stiles had been the one who found the arrow. The only person Derek could be happy with. After listening to Derek's reasoning the queen let him go.

Derek wandered through the lands, his boots were ripped as were his clothes and their colours were fading too. One day he met an older man. The man asked him what had happened to him and Derek told his story.  
“Oh, Prince Derek why did you burn the frog skin? You didn't give it to him in the first place so it wasn't yours to take away from him. Your Stiles, when he was still human, had a friend, a fiery red haired witch named Lydia. He had tried to best her in a battle of wits and lost, so she turned him into a frog for 3 years. If he tried to get rid of her curse before the appointed time he'd get banished on the giant's island.” After hearing the man, Derek's shoulders visibly slumped. The old man looked at him pitifully. “Sadly I can't really help you but let me give you this ball of thread. It's no ordinary thread. I advise you to follow it without fear wherever it may take you. Derek took the ball of thread and when he looked up to thank the man he was gone. When Derek let the ball fall to the ground in surprise, the ball began rolling and Derek had no choice but to follow it. 

After a while he came upon a huge forest. It was so dark in there he couldn't see very far. The ball of thread rolled right into it and before he could think too much about it Derek stepped into the forest. He couldn't tell if it was day or night anymore but the thread rolled silently. He was so concentrated on it that he didn't notice the huge black bear near a fir tree. Derek reached instinctively for his bow but before he could shoot, the animal spoke to him.  
“Please let me live I might be able to help you one day!” Derek wasn't convinced at first but as he saw that the ball of thread was still rolling away from him he showed mercy and let the bear live.  
He ran after the ball of thread and soon reached it again. After what Derek thought were 3 days they left the forest behind and came upon a swamp. 

Even though it was a lot lighter he still couldn't see properly because of the all surrounding mist. At first he was afraid he might fall into the swamp and never get out again but he put all his faith in the little ball of wool that seemed to have no end and followed it, slowly. When he went further along the path indicated by the thread, he found a duck walking around. At this point Derek was very hungry and tried to shoot the duck but before he could reach for his arrow the duck spoke to him. “Don't kill me prince, I beg you. One day I could be of help to you.” Derek's stomach growled painfully but he let the animal live. Meanwhile the ball of thread hadn't stopped and had happily rolled on. He followed it and soon left the swamp behind. 

When he could finally see properly again the landscape before him was breathtaking. Wherever he looked there were hills with grass, bushes and small trees. The air smelled fresh and Derek felt a slight breeze against his skin. While he was still following the ball of thread he saw a hare darting through the grass. He hadn't eaten much since he'd met the duck so he tried to shoot the hare and failed again when it started to plead for it's life. Listening to the hare's pleas he let it go and kept following the ball of thread.

While walking through the hills he finally arrived at the sea. There on the beach he found a huge fish who could barely breathe. The animal begged the prince to throw him back into the sea. Derek complied with the request and the fish swam away. The ball of thread then turned away from the sea while Derek walked leisurely behind it. They came upon a small forest, there, hidden behind trees he saw a strange little hut. The hut was standing on a huge chicken leg while turning round and round. He politely asked the hut to stay still for him so that he may enter and the hut complies and lets him in. 

When he enters he's facing Baba Yaga, the bony witch with sharp teeth and a long pointy nose, sitting at the warm oven. She asks him: “Young man what are you doing in my door? Where do you come from, where do want to go? Are you good or evil?” After walking and starving for so long Derek told her with the last bits of his strength what she wanted to know. She listened in silence and then invited him to stay for the night. She prepared a bath for him, gave him something to eat and drink and made a nice bed for him while he was eating.

She sat down at the table and began to speak: “I knew your husband was the prisoner of the “immortal” giant before you stepped inside my little hut. I'll help you free him.” Derek looked at her in surprise. She beckoned him closer. “Listen to me young man. It won't be easy to to rescue your beloved frog. Besides the giant's enormous strength, his immortality will make things hard for you. But I can tell you his secret. He is immortal because he has caught his own death and imprisoned it on the point of a needle which he then hid inside a little golden egg. The egg is hidden in a stone chest on top of an oak tree. The chest has too guardians a golden hare and a silver duck. The tree is guarded by the giant day and night, but he sleeps around noon for one hour a day. You'll find your husband in the giant's hut nearby the tree.

Derek didn't know what to do besides believing this impossible story. But if his husband had been changed into a frog it's certainly possible for a giant to trap his own death on a needlepoint, he argued silently. The prince slept through the night without waking and replenished his energy for the things that were about to happen soon. After a light breakfast in the morning he was send on his way to the tree by the witch. The little ball of thread began rolling again and soon he left the small forest and came back to the beach again. He followed the thread along the shore until it turned left into the sea. When he looked over the water he could see a huge island on the horizon. 

Then he noticed that the ball of thread hadn't vanished into the water but followed a stone path towards the island. Without the thread he wouldn't have noticed at all. The path was slick with mud and algae and the waves didn't make crossing the sea any easier. More than once was he about to slip on his way to the island. When he finally arrived it had become noon. The ball of thread did not roll anymore and he put it in his bag. The island was covered in forest but he could already see a huge tree above all others. When he came closer he could make out a stone chest in its branches. He couldn't see the guardians anywhere. How could he get the chest from the tree? 

As if someone had read his thoughts a huge black bear appeared out of nowhere and uprooted the tree. The chest fell down and broke into pieces. Out of the chest jumped a golden hare in his paws a golden egg. Derek could not follow him. The hare was dashing madly away but soon was followed by another hare who was faster. The brown hare attacked the golden one and the egg slipped from his paws.  
Suddenly the silver duck guardian appeared, took the egg and flew towards the sky. Derek could only watch from the ground helplessly. Seemingly out of thin air came another duck flying straight towards the silver one. The attack made the silver duck lose the golden egg and it fell into the sea. 

“Oh no!” Derek panicked. “How can I find an egg on the ground of the sea? Everything is lost!” Derek cried. He ran towards the beach already stripping pieces of his clothing when suddenly a huge fish appeared at the small beach. The fish had the golden egg in his mouth. Derek took it carefully from the fish, thanked him and proceeded with his plan. He didn't have much time left. 

He threw down the egg and took the needle into his hands. While he tried to break it the giant woke up and could see that something was wrong. He screamed in panic. But all his fighting and screaming didn't help him at all. Derek broke the needle and death came for the giant finally. 

When Derek came to the hut of the giant near the tree he found Stiles in human form leaning against the door with a blinding smile on his face. The moment they saw each other they ran toward each other.  
Derek slung his arms around his husband's waist and danced in circles around the clearing with him. Stiles caught Derek with his legs and slung his arms around his neck. “I knew you'd find me!” he whispered in his ear. Derek couldn't believe his luck. He took a deep breath and he was happy. When Derek stopped swirling them around, they leaned their foreheads together and kissed for the first time since they were married. 

When Derek told Stiles about journey to the island and how the old man had helped him with the thread Stiles was stunned. He asked Derek to show him the thread and when he did so, Stiles cried out: “You've met my father! He gave you this thread!” Derek was surprised about this turn of events. Who would've thought?  
But before Derek could think too much about it, Stiles took the thread and put a spell on it.  
The thread turned into a huge bird and they flew back home where they lived a happy and content life until they were old and gray.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a [tumblr](http://kimchisan.tumblr.com/). If you want to keep up with my nonstop (re)blogging, go for it! :)
> 
> Also there is this beautiful fanart my friend [Lienwyn](http://lienwyn.tumblr.com/post/71038957011/merry-christmas-sandrina-d-this-is-for-her) has made:


End file.
